The present disclosure generally relates to appliances, and more particularly to an external surface heating system for a refrigerator.
The formation of condensation on the external surfaces of a refrigerator is typically addressed by attempting to keep the temperature of all exposed refrigerator surfaces above the dew point. Generally this is done by insulation or adding heat. Refrigerators will generally have external surfaces that are warmed by a refrigerant from the high-pressure side of the refrigeration system. The device used to warm these external surfaces is typically called a condenser loop. Adding heat with a condenser loop is energy efficient. The typical surfaces of a refrigerator that are warmed by a condenser loop generally include for example, the freezer cabinet flanges, cabinet doors, the divider between the fresh food and freezer compartments, and the external cabinet in the vicinity of the cold plate on a bottom mount ice and water maker.
These external surfaces receive heat when the cooling system is operating. A typical cooling system will generally cycle between an ON and OFF state. In the ON state, the cooling system is running and the condenser loop will heat the nearby surfaces, or the surfaces to which it is coupled. When the cooling system is OFF, the temperature will drop across these surfaces. If the temperature across the surfaces drops below the dew point, condensation can form. In some cases, the condenser loop by itself is not always able to provide sufficient heat to certain surfaces, such as the divider between the fresh food and freezer compartments in a bottom mount freezer model. An electric heater can be added in addition to the condenser loop to provide sufficient heat for such surfaces. However, the addition of an electric heater increases both the cost and energy usage of the refrigerator.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system that addresses at least some of the problems identified.